Posts Tagged american citizens

A Waterford crystal ball dropped in New York City marking the passing of one year joyfully into the next. 2011 and all of its trials are behind us. Normally the New Year brings its share of new chances and opportunities but 2012 is a special year in this regard. For those supporting the FairTax, 2012 presents an overwhelming number of opportunities to get involved and make a difference. It is no secret to even the most uninformed layman that the coming year will be a political one. The focus of course, is on the presidential election so it is easy to forget that every single congressman and one-third of the senate is up for grabs. As an example, tomorrow Iowa is holding their first in the nation caucus. The people of Iowa have an unprecedented access to the current Republican field. Some of the candidates have even made a point to travel to all of Iowa’s 99 counties. For a native Texan the idea of blanketing all of a state’s counties just seems impossible. But what it means is that American citizens will make this year an indelible impact on our candidates. Now is the time to get involved and now is the time to fight the hardest for our causes.

The elections coming this year will provide unparalleled access to our elected representatives. As they reach out to their constituents we need to show up as a unified force to promote the FairTax. Every office holder from the state to the national level should be, at least, asked about their opinion and stance on the FairTax. There are numerous resources to answer any concerns or questions you may face, six such concerns answered a few weeks ago here, and the FairTax FAQ page. Armed with this information anyone should be able to ask their Congressman for support and be able to follow up on any response. Additionally, in an aid to our cause no congressional office should be without the following information. At the end of the year popvox.com listed the top 50 bills promoted by citizens around the country. Popvox.com lets people vote on current legislation immediately giving their representatives a look at how their constituents feel on various upcoming bills. H.R. 25 was the second most supported bill in the country for 2011 and S 13 was ninth. As an aside the top bill for the year, H.R. 3035, was pulled by its sponsor and is no longer being considered. Making the FairTax the most supported legislation currently being considered. This is a nationwide poll that every elected official should be made aware of. Standing at 80% support shows that there is substantial grassroots backing for the FairTax.

While it is true that town halls are usually held every year and most members of congress enjoy hearing from their voters, 2012 is significant for this reason above all. Party conventions. Getting involved in your local party convention is an easy and unfortunately overlooked inroad. After the primary ask your local precinct chair or election judge the location for your precinct convention, after that keep pushing to go further to state and onward. This year both parties will have national conventions where the FairTax can really make some strides. Never underestimate the power and appeal of the volunteer. The FairTax will need institutional support since it will require a national movement involving two thirds of congress and three fourths of the states. It is also important we do not forget the magnitude of the task before us. I am not going to tell you that 2012 is the year we pass the FairTax or that by next April 15th we can all kiss the IRS goodbye. What we need to recognize is that all candidates are being asked about true fundamental tax reform. Not merely lowering rates or closing loopholes, people are talking about changing the tax system as we know it. As the nation looks for viable alternatives to a universally admitted broken system, the FairTax is a bill already written and before Congress, it has support in both chambers and a strong grassroots backing. There is no reason that we cannot take 2012 and make the FairTax a household name and the next substantive discussion.

One way to achieve this goal is to start this discussion at the local level. The most powerful message that we can send is one that not only reaffirms the importance of state’s rights but also the sincerity to our cause. By pushing our states to pass resolutions affirming their intent to repeal the 16th Amendment on the condition of the passage of the FairTax we achieve a dual effect. We show the federal government that the people are finally ready to take the steps necessary to unburden ourselves of an oppressive government and we get state congressmen on the record in support of repeal. Working on this does not require much legwork at all, since most local congressmen are usually not far away.

When TIME listed their top 10 New Year’s Resolutions list all 10 had had to do with making a change. Everything from better time management, learning a new language, or working out more, all had to do with people searching for something to change in the New Year. 2012 has been kind enough to offer up a bevy of options to alter our way of life for the better. One of the greatest impacts we could hope to make is dismantling our current tax code and replacing it with the FairTax. A perfect storm is brewing in the midst of an election year to offer us the greatest chance we have had in a decade to further the FairTax and mark 2012 as a year to remember. At the end of this year we will have voted in a new congress and senate, perhaps changed presidents and if we are diligent brought our dream a little closer to reality.